A woman on TikTok is going viral after she says she faced a wave of backlash over the gifts she picked out for a child in her church’s Angel Tree program—and now she’s pushing back.
In a recent clip, Emy (@emymcb2) explained that the internet piled on her simply because she bought off-brand colored pencils for the girl she was shopping for.
The Long Island content creator said she was stunned by how rude some commenters were, especially given that she spent nearly $65 on the gifts. She ultimately tweaked a few items after the criticism, but she also used the moment to talk about how casual cruelty online can wear people down.
Her video detailing the fallout—and how she handled it—had drawn more than 846,400 views as of Friday.
What did she buy?
Emy laid out exactly what she bought for the girl, starting with a Winter Candy Apple gift set from Bath and Body Works that included body wash, body butter, and lotion.
@emymcb2 Part 2 update is up also! 😭#angeltree #haul #gifthaul #controversy ♬ Bob & Joan – Emy Mcb
She added a few face masks she picked up at the dollar store, something she said she uses herself, along with a paint-by-numbers kit, a dolphin keychain, acne patches she thought would be “fun,” and a drawing pad.
Then came the item that set people off: the colored pencils. Emy said she bought an off-brand because the Crayola version only came with ten pencils, while the set she chose had twelve.
“That’s why I got this brand,” she says. “I didn’t think anything of it.”
She also included a $15 McDonald’s gift card. All told, she said she spent about $65, which falls squarely within the $50 to $80 range recommended by her church. After the backlash, she picked up a 50-pack of Crayola pencils as well.
Content creator responds to the haters
Emy said she shopped based on what she would have loved at that age, but many commenters insisted she didn’t put enough money or thought into the gift.
She pushed back, noting she stayed within the recommended budget and made choices with good intentions.
“I will not be apologizing for what I chose to purchase as I know where my heart was and I know my intentions were good,” she says, adding that her video sparked “extremely strong” reactions.
According to Emy, some people accused her of being performative and privileged, while others went as far as telling her to hurt herself. She says she hopes those leaving that kind of hate “can find healing in their hearts,” because her goal was to help a child have a good holiday.
“I truly do want the girl to have a wonderful Christmas,” she says.
Emy emphasized that she welcomed a few “loving suggestions” and updated her gifts, but believes Christmas shouldn’t be reduced to name brands and consumerism.
What is the Angel Tree Program?
The Angel Tree program aims to ensure that children and seniors in need receive gifts at Christmas. Donors who choose to participate “adopt” an angel by selecting a wish list of items their recipient has requested.
The idea is simple: to help everyone experience the joy of Christmas morning, even if your family is experiencing financial hardship.
A version of the program by Prison Fellowship focuses on children of incarcerated parents, pairing gift-giving with letters from their parents to help maintain family connections.
For the Salvation Army program, families in need register and provide a list for each child or senior, including clothing sizes and toy requests. Donors then pick a tag from a physical tree or online portal and buy new items that match the list. The gifts are returned to the organization and distributed ahead of Christmas.
Commenters continue to flame the content creator
Viewers who watched Emy’s videos, including the one where she detailed exactly what she bought for the little girl, were largely unimpressed. Many argued that even if she’s fine buying Dollar Tree products for herself, she should have splurged for the child.
“Please reconsider ever doing Angel Tree again,” one woman wrote. “These kids go ALL YEAR with nothing. Dollar Tree is not acceptable.”
“Angel Tree is NOT something you do on a budget, if you can’t afford to spoil these kids, LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT,” another commented.
“Getting DOLLAR TREE girls? The whole point is them receiving things they can’t normally get,” a third person added.
Some accused Emy of centering the gifts on what she would have liked at that age, rather than on the child.
“All I’m hearing is ME ME ME ME,” one viewer wrote.
“I heard ‘I’ and ‘for myself’ way too many times for this to be an angel tree gift for someone else,” another commented.
“Since it’s all about you, just return the tag, have someone else get her stuff, and you keep all that for yourself,” a third added. “Don’t do angel tree again.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Emy via TikTok for comment.
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